Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1887-07-20
Martyrs.
New York journal of; Comm cree. ]

There is vast difference between the
penalty that comes from wrong-doing and
the suffering which is sacrifice for the
sake of principle. The man who is in
favor of a community of goods, and is put
in the pillory for stealing his neighbours
chickens is not martyr to his opinions
He may hold and teach his peculiar views
from youth to old age, and be wholly I'M
molested; but the overt act of appropriating
the property of another is an offense which
society is very prompt to punish. Not his
cherished opinions, but his open breach of
the law has brought him to grief.
Willful men who set aside all restraint to
have their own way, and are to suffer the
natural consequences of their obstinacy,
are very apt to pose as martyrs, and claim
that they are punished for an honest adj
herence to their own convictions. They
will insist vehemently upon the right of
every man to think for himself, and when
their thoughts take concrete shape, and the
overt action infringing upon the rights of
another meets its proper penalty, will howl
their lament that man in a free country
must suffer for opinions sake.
We knew loud-mouthed defender of the
statement that all the days of the week
were alike, who suffered, not because he
clung tenaciously to this view, but because
he was not at all tolerant of the views of
the great majority who disagreed with him.
The latter, believing in Sunday rest, had
passed law forbidding any open disturb
ance of the public quiet during the hours
they held sacred. This man, bidding de-
fiance to the law, made as much noise as
possible on the first day of the week, as his
protest against it's sanctity. He was ar
rested and punished, and thereafter issued
a pamphlet setting forth his fellowship with
those who, in the old-time, were burned at
the stake for their religious opinions. But
he was not punished for his opinions. He
might have been ever so true to them and
still not disturb the peace of the village.
There was nothing in his opinions that re-
quired him to pillow field opposite the viii
lage church while the majority of the peo-
pie Were assembled for worship. 1t would
not have called for any sacrifice of his con-
victions to have paid a little respect to the
cherished views of others and to have re-
framed from annoying them while clinging
to his own belief.
"a young man of considerable talent studied
for the ministry and was ordained as a
pastor over a Presbyterian Church. He
soon began to develop great laxity of doc
trine, and finally came to deny the divinity
of Christ and the belief in future rewards
and punishments. He was cited to appear
before the Presbytery, but declined, saying
that he was entitled to his own opinions,
and was in no way responsible for them to
an ecclesiastical court. After repeated
the ministry, and debarred from the pull
pits of that denomination. lie and his fol
lowers made tho welkin ring with the
charge that he had suffered from religious
persecution, and accused the ecclesiastical
court with trying to put letters on a free
mans spiritual life. The truth was that
The church to which he had solemnly vowed
his allegiance simply held that while joined
to that body he must not repudiate its sys-
TEN Of theology. Ordinary decency would
have required him to resign his pastorate
and retire from the organization whose doc
trines be so bitterly opposed before he pub
licly proclaimed his views.
The friends of DR.. McGlynn are weaving
for him ;he martyrs chaplet because the
Papal church has dismissed him from her
communion. But no self.respecting body
of believers would retain its connection
With one who openly detied ita authority
and refused TO submit to it's discipline. II
makes NO difference in the argument wheth-
err the Disposed pastor is right or wrong ID
his pecul II views. He was not at liberty
to disregard the call of his acknowledged
superiGrs on the plea that they wanted to
deprive lin Of his manhood's right to his
own free thoughts. He should have an
swereG the citation in person, and submit
ted his ca Sc, as he had pledged himself TO
do, to The Judgment he had promised TO rec
spect. Ga. Else seeded from the church, and
thas proclaimed his right to be free from
all ecclesiastical control.
Dr.. Nc4lynn was not communicated
because ol his views on the land question,
nor ev,n in consequence of his public ut
teraneeS that and kindred themes But
he was xpelled from the body to which he
had vowed bis allegiance because he con-
tumaciously refused to appear before the
proper tribunal when duly cited and re-
peatedly warned Of the result of his obsti-
macy Il man is entitled to his own opin-
ions, but he has no right to claim member
ship in an organization while he refuses to
submit 10 its well-known rules. To expel
him fron violating such rules is not to per-
secute him for his opinions, but to punish
him for GROSS disrespect to statutes he has
promised 20 obey.